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By Richard Pagliaro | Monday, March 9, 2026Photo credit score: BNP Paribas Open Fb
INDIAN WELLS—Alex Michelsen’s again was towards the wall caught within the shadows as Taylor Fritz fired away.
The 6’4” Michelsen is an aggressive baseline at coronary heart, however in the present day decided protection sparked the most important win of his profession.
Down set level within the tiebreaker at 5-6, Michelsen dashed sideline to sideline defending successive smashes from Fritz earlier than drawing an error.
A dynamic Michelsen received the ultimate three factors of the tiebreaker upsetting the seventh-seeded Fritz 6-4, 7-6(6) in an all-American Stadium 2 shootout.
“It’s a vital win. High-10 participant, been high American for a few years, somebody I havelooked as much as for a very long time,” Michelsen mentioned. “It’s a really huge win for me, particularly to do it out right here closeto house and get one other fourth spherical of a Masters, I feel it’s my second time. Yeah, it’s a giant win for me.”
Exuding guile and grit, Michelsen toppled the 2022 champion Fritz—his frequent follow companion—to succeed in the Indian Wells fourth spherical for the primary time.
“I type of went again to muscle reminiscence at that time,” Michelsen mentioned of his sliding set-point saves, “Additionally received a bit of fortunate twice there.”
Laguna Hills native Michelsen will face both Eleventh-seeded Dubai champion Daniil Medvedev or Sebastian Baez for a quarterfinal spot.
The 21-year-old Michelsen scored the most important win of his profession and hit a milestone mark within the course of. Michelsen and 20-year-old Learner Tien, who out-dueled Ben Shelton 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 in an all-American conflict of lefties yesterday, are each into the spherical of 16. It’s the primary time a number of American males aged 21-and-under have reached the Indian Wells spherical of 16 since former No. 1 Andy Roddick and Robby Ginepri did it means again in 2023 when the event featured a 64-player draw.
Michelsen and Tien grew up enjoying the ultra-competitive SoCal junior circuit collectively and are inspiring one another as professionals.
“I used to be tremendous blissful for him. I talked to him after the match,” Michelsen mentioned of Tien. “I wastexting him, and he texted me after I received in the present day.
“Yeah, it’s at all times good once we attempt to go like this to one another, attempt to one-up one another. He’s positively beating me proper now, so I’ve to catch him ultimately. It’s actually enjoyable. We’re each doing tremendous nicely on the identical event. Doesn’t occur fairly often, however we’re having fun with it lots, andwe’re rooting for one another, for positive.”
It’s a irritating loss for Fritz, who hit the breaking level early within the second set.
The seventh-seeded Fritz didn’t convert on a break level within the fourth recreation. From Love-40 down, Fritz saved to interrupt factors however missed a transparent take a look at a forehand down the road.
Festering frustration erupted as Fritz snapped his Head racquet over his knee after Michelsen broke for 3-2.
Serving to consolidate, Michelsen rallied from triple break level down, hitting three winners in a row. The 6’4” Michelsen scraped out a low backhand volley to arrange a simple excessive forehand volley that helped him maintain for 4-2.
“Right this moment I used to be actually impressed with how he served,” Fritz mentioned. “I follow with him lots. I don’t really feel like he usually serves that nicely. Simply particularly on the massive factors in the present day, he simply served unimaginable on plenty of the massive factors. When he actually wanted it, he’d put a serve on the road, plenty of first serves.
“It was superb serving from him in the present day. I imply, typically, he’s received nice fingers. He involves the online nicely. He can transfer the ball round nice along with his backhand. Like I mentioned, I follow with him fairly a bit. I used to be impressed.”
Although Michelsen didn’t serve out the match up 5-4, 30-15, he navigated the tough tiebreaker.
Working close to the again wall towards former US Open finalist Fritz isn’t the place opponents wish to be on onerous courts. Michelsen didn’t panic taking a web page from his mother’s playbook. Michelsen’s mom, Sondra, who starred on the San Diego State tennis staff, hit along with her son almost every day from the time he was 4 years outdated.
“She’s a wall,” Michelsen mentioned, sharing his first win over mother got here when he was 14 or 15.
It’s Michelsen’s second win over Fritz in as many conferences following his 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 victory on the crimson clay of the 2024 Geneva occasion.
Michelsen served 71 p.c, saved 7 of 8 break factors and hit 30 winners—two greater than Fritz—in an enthralling 99-minute win.
It comes one spherical after Michelsen fended off Frenchman Ugo Humbert in a pulsating 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-6(6) on Stadium 5 that closed the schedule on Saturday night time.
In each matches, Michelsen confirmed aggressive backbone—and a fearlessness to assault on pivotal factors. These might be important parts ought to he face former world No. 1 Medvedev subsequent.
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